The Ranger, Nov. 12, 2018 by The Ranger

The anger Volume 93 • Issue 8 San Antonio College A forum of free voices since 1926

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Department quietly loses chair; administration mute on details Alamo Colleges’ human resources say the fine arts chair is still employed. By Sergio Medina smedina104@student.alamo.edu Jeff Hunt, chair of the fine arts department, left his post indefinitely in early October for reasons undisclosed. Dr. Conrad Krueger, dean of academ-

ic success, is overseeing the department. In an interview after Potbelly with the President Nov. 1, President Robert Vela would not comment on Hunt’s departure. “When that time comes, I will comment,” he said. “At this particular point in time, I can’t comment.” Vela did not specify when he might. When approached Nov. 6, Hunt

declined to be interviewed by The Ranger. “I’m just on leave,” he said, without further comment. English Professor Lennie Irvin, president of Faculty Senate, said in an interview Nov. 5 he has “no idea” about Hunt’s departure. “To speak honestly, there’s sort of rumors and people really questioning what the heck happened to him,” he

said. “He’s just, like, disappeared. I’ve had a number of people that said, ‘I can’t tell you; I’m not allowed to say.’” Hunt, who served on Faculty Senate, also served as senate representative for his department along with music Professor Martha Fabrique. Fabrique said, “Unfortunately, this is a personnel matter that none of us have any information about, so I don’t have

any information to relay.” She referred questions to Krueger. Academic unit assistant Tara Martin, whose office is adjacent to Hunt’s in Room 105 of McAllister Fine Arts Center, said she has no knowledge of details of his departure, also referring questions to Krueger in an interview Oct. 30. Within the senate, Hunt served on

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Tuition to rise $13 per hour starting in spring The Alamo Colleges board passed the increase in July. By Jason Durant sac-ranger@alamo.edu

Criminal justice sophomore Ciara Zurita takes a punch in the face from law enforcement freshman Alasandra Zamarripa Nov. 5 during the Olympic-style boxing event in the mall. Zurita won the match. Brianna Rodrigue

Starting in the spring, the five district colleges will charge $99 per credit hour for in-district residents and $215 for outof-district residents. An announcement email from the district administration was sent to students, faculty and staff Nov. 2, providing a brief explanation for the increase in tuition and answers to questions students may have. The Alamo Colleges board of trustees approved the increase of $13 per semester hour at a retreat July 14, according to a video recording of the event. “We understand students from all walks of life are at different financial situations in their life,” Kristi Wyatt, vice chancellor for communications and engagement, said Nov. 2 in a phone interview. “However, we encourage students to apply for scholarships and other types of aid as well as letting them know of

this change early in advance through email. “One alternative to financial aid, scholarships or paying out of pocket would be finding out if the student qualifies for the summer momentum plan,” Wyatt said. The summer momentum plan is an opportunity for students to take tuition-free summer courses if they have earned at least 18 college-level semester hours in fall and spring. Students who have completed 18 hours can take one three-hour course, and students who have completed 24 hours can take two three-hour courses. Registration for the spring semester through ACES will begin Nov. 12, beginning with students who have completed 46 credit hours. All students can register Nov. 16. The presentation on the budget at the July 14 board retreat is available at the district website. According to the presentation by Dr. Diane Snyder, vice chancellor for finance

and administration, over the last seven years, tuition has increased 8 percent. Budgets for higher education generally include three main revenue streams: state contributions, property taxes, and tuition and fees. While tuition has increased for students three times since 2002, Alamo Colleges remains the eighth least-expensive district in the state, according to the presentation. The presentation did not give tuition for other community colleges. The presentation compared tuition at Alamo colleges to local universities. “By attending any community college, ACD included, the average student is saving $20-70k in tuition as opposed to starting at a university their freshman year, taking the same core requirements mandated by the state,” Snyder said in the presentation. The presentation can be viewed at https:// v3.boardbook.org/Public/ PublicItemDownload. aspx?ik=428336.

President addresses advising, course evaluation Parking continues to be a main concern for students. By Lionel Ramos and James Russell sac-ranger@alamo.edu Students will have to find alternative places to park beginning in January when Lots, 21, 22 and 29 are closed for the construction of a third parking garage, President Robert Vela said in an interview after Potbelly with the President Nov. 1. Vela addressed concerns of students and faculty during the event sponsored by the Student Government Association. About 40 students attended the event in the nursing and allied health complex, which offered free sandwiches from Potbelly restaurant. Topics students asked about included parking, student advising, international work-study and course evaluations. The most prominent issue brought

to the president’s attention was the lack of parking for students, veterans and handicapped individuals. Public administration sophomore Laura Salazar-Brown, a veteran, voiced her concerns regarding parking in the Tobin Lofts student garage. “I’ll make this comment from the perspective of someone who’s already in leadership,” Salazar-Brown said. “I spent 31 years in the Marine Corps and I was given my parking spot, so then you become a student, and then you don’t have a parking spot anymore.” She pointed out the parking spaces reserved for students living in Tobin Lofts are usually vacant in the mornings, but she still has to struggle to find parking because she is not allowed to park there and handicap spaces are not available. “I have a handicap placard, but

there’s never any handicap parking, so then you got to go in that tiered parking … the spaces for the Tobin Lofts students; they’re all empty. “And that’s bothersome that you’ve got to drive all the way up to the fourth and fifth floors, and then the elevators are broken, and then you’ve got to climb down the five flights of steps. And when you’re a veteran that’s got all kinds of issues going on, it gets frustrating,” she said. Vela, in response, provided some context as to why the parking situation throughout the campus is so hard to manage. “We are a part of a bigger district,” he said, “The issue with parking is that we’re (employees) out and about not just here at SAC. We’re out and about all over the city.” “That’s just the nature of working for a big system … there has always been

Mortuary science freshman Gilbert Casilla talks to public relations Director Vanessa Torres about poor navigation and non-functioning pages on the new website at Potbelly with the President Nov. 1 in nursing. Torres told Casilla to report any problems to the office of technology services. Casilla also suggested the New Student Orientation do a tour of the campus rather than a scavenger hunt. Deandra Gonzalez an issue with parking at SAC, always, because we’re large, were urban, everyone wants to park here, even our neighbors at times.” He brought up the third garage expected to be completed in spring of 2020 in place of the tennis courts and the surface parking south of Scobee Education Center.

“We’re going to put up a five-story garage, so that will be open, which we’ve never had parking on that other end,” he said. “We’re going to get more parking … I hear you loud and clear. It’s just these things take a little time.” Brandon Colon, computer engineeri

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News

Nov. 12, 2018

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Five enduring values keep people united, former president says Students need to hear opinions they disagree with, Zeigler said. By Janie Medelez sac-ranger@alamo.edu Former college President Robert Zeigler told about 20 students at the Wesley Foundation Oct. 30 that the nation is united by five enduring values. The values are freedom, community, exploration, responsibilities and character, he said. These came from the book “What Unites Us: Reflections on Patriotism” written by Dan Rather and Elliot Kirschner and published in 2017, which formed the basis for his lecture at the weekly Hot Potato luncheon. “We are a nation of dreamers and fixers. We have looked at our land and people and said time and time again, ‘This is not good enough; we can be better,’” Zeigler said. This referred to a quote from Rather, a good friend of Zeigler’s and former anchor for CBS Evening News. Zeigler was a history professor before he entered the administration of this college. He retired in 2015. “I hope young people like you will say that, and I hope

your children and grandchildren will also say that,” he said. People should never be satisfied that they have done enough, he said. “The first time I read this book, I came away with an optimistic outlook,” he said. “Then after reading it again and thinking about where we are right now, I was not so happy.” It’s a book that tells people about where they’ve been, where they need to be and where they’re going, he said. “I would like for us to think about where are we as a country. Are we better? Are we worse? Are we asking that question or can we do better?” Zeigler said. Zeigler outlined the elements that compose each of the values: Voting, dissent and a free press are elements of freedom. Voting is critical to freedom because if people don’t vote, they are not going to have a voice, and complaining afterward is ineffective. Dissent is the right to disagree with each other and still be respectful toward each other’s point of view. A free press is critical for survival, he said. All U.S. presidents have had a general respect, love-hate

relationship with the press. “Thomas Jefferson, who wasn’t always friendly with the press, made the comment that if he had to live in a society that had a government and no free press or had a free press and no government, he would choose the one with the free press and no government,” Zeigler said. “When people hear a positive story, they think the press is wonderful, but when the story is not positive they think the press is not so wonderful and maybe should not be so free.” Zeigler said the elements of community are inclusion, empathy and immigration. He described inclusion in the U.S. as the only place in the world where people can come from everywhere, and if those people accept U.S. values and the precepts on which the nation was established, they can become Americans. “You know, people can’t just become an Englishman or a Frenchman that way. That is a unique and amazing thing,” Zeigler said. “So we are inclusive and have always been inclusive. I hope we stay inclusive.”

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HUNT from Page 1

PRESIDENT from Page 1

the Policy and Procedure Committee, which is in charge of reviewing and changing senate by-laws. Dr. Teanna Staggs, chair of natural sciences, also is on the policy committee. She said all questions regarding Hunt should be directed to Krueger. Krueger wrote in a Nov. 1 email he is serving as the acting chair of the fine arts department. “Beyond this, there are no comments,” he wrote. Kristi Wyatt, associate vice chancellor of communications and engagement, responded in a Nov. 4 email after district human resources was contacted for information on Hunt’s employment status. “Jeff Hunt has not been terminated and is currently an employee of the Alamo Colleges District,” she wrote. Irvin said, “I’m not sure how many years he’s been here, but he’s very prominent. I mean, he used to be Faculty Senate president at one point.” Hunt has been an employee of the Alamo Colleges since Aug. 19, 1991. “To just have him ‘poof’ is distressing,” Irvin said. For information, call Krueger at 210-486-0915 or email ckrueger@alamo.edu.

ing sophomore, raised a concern about the issue of advisers not being helpful to students in finding out what transfer plans are best for them. “I don’t find a lot of help from my adviser,” Colon said. “It’s mostly me doing all the checking.” He said he is not the only one facing this issue. “That’s something other students can agree on, that when we go to our advisers, sometimes we know more than them about what’s actually going on,” he said. Vela recommended he schedule an appointment with his adviser anyway and ask for help. He also explained the fact that being an advisor is incredibly complex because of how many different colleges students want to transfer to. Colon said Vela told him that someone would contact him about his situation. On Nov. 6, however, Colon wrote in an email that he has not been contacted. “President Vela said someone was going to reach out to me, and, well, I am still waiting for

Nursing freshman Sadako Ogathe poses on the runway during a fashion show presented by the Campus Activities Board Nov. 7 in the Fiesta Room of Loftin. Ogathe’s outfit was part of a collection by student designer Viktoria Martinez, general science sophomore. Dillon Holloway

my help sadly,” he wrote. “I feel as if the college is missing the connection from the staff to the students, and I am just really disappointed.” International student study has become a growing issue. Some international students brought the topic to Vela’s attention and spoke about how the F-1 visa work restrictions affect them and how they can work around it. Computer programming sophomore Okhai Omotuebe said he is trying to pay for college but is not able to work because of the F-1 policy. F-1 policy restricts outside employment for international students. Treasurer Mario Lopez of the Student Government Association, another international student, answered Omotuebe’s question with advice on how Omotuebe can work around the F-1 policy. “In your first, semester you can’t work, but your second semester, you can apply to work on campus,” he said. “There are requirements and specifica-

tions for that. You can go to foreign students Coordinator Patrice Ballard for additional help as well,” he said, “After your first year, you can work outside as long as it’s related to your major.” Students were not the only ones to voice their concerns. Asslan Khaligh, professor of political science, said course evaluations need to be available longer because students don’t get a chance to complete them. Each semester students are asked to submit course evaluations before final exams begin. “As I teach my students, I learn from them and try to improve upon that and how they critique that is important,” Khaligh said. In response to his question, Dr. Jothany Blackwood, vice president of academic success, said, “The evaluations are on a systemwide schedule that works for a majority of courses, not all courses,” she said. “SAC can’t extend evaluation deadlines for SAC courses, unfortunately, as they are on the system.”

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Nov. 12, 2018

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Opinion 3

Staff Managing Editor Sergio Medina News Editors Liandre de la Uso, Rogelio Escamilla Opinion Editor Austin P. Taylor Calendar Editor Andrea Moreno Social Media Editor Brianna Rodrigue Staff Writers Kathya Anguiano, Huguette Buduri, Kimberly Caballero, Jason Durant, Julian Gonzales, Blanca Granados, Richard Hernandez, Mardio Lattimore, Giovanni Maccarone, Janie Medelez, Lionel Ramos, James Russell Photo Editor V. Finster Photographer Deandra Gonzalez Photo Team Christina R. Emmett, Mitchell Gawlik, Dillon Holloway, Brittney Maria Moreno, Alan Torres Illustrator Amanda Graef Distribution Manager Micaela Avila

©2018 by The Ranger staff, San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., San Antonio, TX 78212-3941. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced without permission. The Ranger news outlets, which serve the Alamo

Amanda Graef

Students should research misconceptions Critical thinking can and should be applied outside the academic arena. Professor Dehlia Wallis, who teaches PSYC 2301, General PsychologyHonors, at this campus, has students review common misconceptions about psychology to encourage critical thinking through research. For example, take the myth that says, “You’re only using 10 percent of your brain.” The idea was the basis for the movie “Lucy” not too long ago. It is easy to hear, see or read something that sounds plausible and run with it because research can be tedious, but what is college for if not to

Viewpoint

push erroneous ideas out of the way? That is why instructors, no matter the field, should have students research common misconceptions relating to their respective subjects. The simple matter of encouraging students to research goes a long way because it trains them to weigh information from questionable sources. A stronger sense of skepticism built at school can have a snowball effect on other areas of life because critical thinking goes beyond the academic. Just look at the political arena. People shout opinions — true or false

— paint them as facts and those not too keen on research simply accept them. Then the fight over who is right begins, searching for “facts” that fit one’s narrative. Some people stick to their comfortable bubbles and reject information that challenges preconceptions. The internet can be a source of in-depth, corroborated information, but at the same time, is one of the biggest culprits when it comes to misinformation. Viral posts online, often sharing fake information, become more and more prominent with the passage of time.

Editorial

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Wear a helmet to protect your noggin, save your life

Community College District, are laboratory projects of classes in the journalism-photography program at San Antonio College. The Ranger is published Mondays except during summer, holidays and examinations. The Ranger Online is available at www.theranger.org. News contributions accepted by telephone (210-4861773), by fax (210-486-9292), by email (sac-ranger@ alamo.edu) or at the editorial office (Room 212 of Loftin Student Center). Advertising rates available by phone 210-486-1765 or as a download at www.theranger.org. The Ranger is a member of the Texas Intercollegiate Press Association, the Associated Collegiate Press and the Texas Community College Journalism Association. Guest Viewpoints: Faculty, staff, students and community members are welcome to contribute guest viewpoints of up to 450 words. Writers should focus on campus or current events in a critical, persuasive or interpretative style. All viewpoints must be published with a photo portrait of the writer. Letters Policy: The Ranger invites readers to share views by writing letters to the editor. Space limitations force the paper to limit letters to two double-spaced, typewritten pages. Letters will be edited for spelling, style, grammar, libel and length. Editors reserve the right to deny publication of any letter. Letters should be emailed to sac-ranger@ alamo.edu or submitted online. Letters also may be brought to the newspaper office in Room 212 of Loftin Student Center, mailed to The Ranger, journalismphotography program, San Antonio College, 1819 N. Main Ave., San Antonio TX 78212-3941 or faxed to 210-486-9292. Letters must be signed and must include the printed name and telephone number. Students should include classification, major, campus and Banner ID. Employees should include title and telephone number. For more information, call 210-486-1773. Single Copy Policy: Members of the Alamo Community College District community are permitted one free copy per issue because of high production costs. Where available, additional copies may be purchased with prior approval for 50 cents each by contacting The Ranger business office. Those who violate the single-copy rule may be subject to civil and criminal prosecution and college discipline.

If you value your life, wear a helmet. Whether up to bat, operating a forklift or riding an electric scooter, protect your noggin. At 28, I am convinced that our quality of V. Finster life is the culmination of vfinster1@stuall our micro decisions. dent.alamo.edu On Aug. 31, I dismissed an important safety measure that has negatively influenced my semester and could have drastically altered my life. I began the fall semester like many students do, optimistic, passionate and still working out the kinks of time management. While interning over the summer for a local nonprofit news organization, I spent several days covering the addition of electric scooters to the downtown area. So I knew the safety risks. The first time I tried to ride one, I put it back because, well, I didn’t have a helmet and the app clearly states that one should be worn for safety. My close friends laughed when I told them. They said they had never seen anyone actually wear one. Several weeks later, I found myself downtown getting an assignment for my internship. I made a micro choice to take a scooter without a helmet. The trip was affordable, quick and made me feel like a kid again. Three days later, I took a scooter again. By Aug. 31, I had ridden electric scooters several times and felt comfortable. I left a meeting off Houston Street before noon on an electric scooter. And then, wham! What followed were hours of sheer panic. The doctors told me the memories would come back like a flash. They still haven’t. I recall a bloody peach-colored towel directly after the wreck, which, I assume, a passerby gave me. While being transported home and drifting in and out of consciousness, I recall a

calm voice asking me “Why were you on the scooter? Where were you going?” “I don’t know,” I responded to that and every other question. I knocked myself into 2016. I had to be told who the president was, a moment I can only compare to finding the Dark Lord’s horcruxes were all but destroyed. This snowflake was quickly melting. When I arrived home, I remember seeing blood on the tile and panicking. It was then my brain kicked into gear, and I asked my boyfriend to dial 911. I couldn’t remember my middle name, that I had insurance, or even the several antibiotics I was allergic to. All I could remember was fear — sudden and sickening fear that I did this to myself and I would die after a preventable, stupid accident. I thought of my children, the only thing I could remember clearly, and wondered if they would ever forgive me for leaving them this way. After an MRI, a tetanus shot and other tests, I was released early the next morning with instructions on how to care for a concussion and nasal and skull fractures and how to prevent blood clots and aneurysms. Other consequences from the concussion included losing a week of school, which required classmates and co-workers to pick up my workload, and having to drop half of my courses because of poor attendance. The next month, I spent trying to catch up. I can’t remember if I was struck by a vehicle, the scooter malfunctioned or if the conditions of the sidewalk threw me. I do know that had I been wearing a helmet, my body and brain would have been in better condition. I’ve learned that life is short, shorter if you cut corners by riding an electric scooter upwards of 20 mph without a helmet on a street with more potholes than pavement. We have the opportunity every day to value our lives with each decision, no matter how small. A poor micro decision can have mega consequences.

At one point or another, it may be debunked, but sometimes we are not the wiser because the correction never spreads as fast or far as the original story did. To practice skepticism is not just about critical thinking. It helps people become conscious about truth, benefitting all our communication and interaction, particularly in a time filled with division in ideologies. A healthy sense of skepticism can help diminish political (and other types of) tribalism in the country. Building on that skepticism and critical thinking starts small, and the academic environment is the perfect arena to do so.

Fall final exam schedule

Class start Dec. 10 MW 6:30 a.m. MWF 7 a.m. MW 9:25 a.m. MWF 10 a.m. MW noon MW 12:15 p.m. MW/MWF 1 p.m. MW 3:05 p.m. MW 3:50 p.m. Dec. 11 TR 8 a.m. TR 10:50 a.m. TR 1 p.m. TR 1:40 p.m.

Dec. 12 MW 8 a.m. MWF 8 a.m. MW 10:50 a.m. MWF 11 a.m. MW 1:40 p.m. MW/MWF 2 p.m. MW 2:25 p.m. Dec. 13 TR 6:30 a.m. TR 9:25 a.m. TR 12:15 p.m. TR 3:05 p.m. Dec. 14 MWF 9 a.m. MWF noon

Final exam 7 a.m.-9:30 a.m. 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. 12:30 p.m.-3 p.m. 1 p.m.-3:30 p.m. 3:50 p.m.-6:20 p.m. 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. 10:50 a.m.-1:20 p.m. 1:40 p.m.-4:10 p.m. 8 a.m.-10:30 a.m. 11 a.m.-1:30 p.m. 2 p.m.-4:30 p.m. 2:25 p.m.-4:55 p.m. 6:30 a.m.-9 a.m. 9:25 a.m.-11:55 a.m. 12:15 p.m.-2:45 p.m. 3:05 p.m.-5:35 p.m. 9 a.m.-11:30 a.m. noon -2:30 p.m.

Friday only, evening and weekend final exams are given during class hours. Department chairs can schedule final exams not conforming to this schedule.

Nov. 12, 2018

Features

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KSYM to host annual Alternative 2 Hunger concert, food drive The annual event will collect canned goods for St. Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home. By Richard Hernandez sac-ranger@alamo.edu

College radio station KSYM 90.1 FM sponsors the 21st annual Alternative 2 Hunger benefit 6 p.m.-midnight Nov. 16 at Sanchos, 628 Jackson St. The concert will benefit St. Peter-St. Joseph Children’s Home, also known as St. PJ’s, and will feature six local acts that are featured on

the station’s Third Coast Music Network playlist. The Third Coast Music Network airs 4-7 p.m. daily. St. PJ’s is a licensed nonprofit organization that provides shelter to children who suffer from abuse, neglect, and human trafficking, according to the organization’s website at www.stpjhome.org. The performing bands include Kim Mackenzie and Jason Trevino, Mike Ryan Coyotes, Harvey McLaughlin, The Lucky Odds, Niko Laven, and The Please Help. “We always want to give back to the community,” assistant KSYM program director Tommy Banks said Nov. 6. “We don’t only want

to showcase local artists, but we also want to get the community together and encourage them to help those in need.” Entry to the concert requires either five canned goods per person or $5, and one frozen turkey admits five people. “We do it for the community,” PSA director Alejandro Diaz said Nov 6. “We don’t only want to be about music; we want to be about the community.” To volunteer or donate, visit www.stpjhome.org. For more information about Alternative 2 Hunger, call 210-4861373 or email ksymapd@gmail.com.

Local organizations share resources, social outlet with LGBTQ+ community Modern queer nuns, the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Abbey of the Alamo, minister to the community through a “bar ministry.” By V. Finster

Vfinster1@student.alamo.edu

More than 22 people attended “Share Your Status” Pride Open Mic Oct. 24 at Eco Centro in observation of LGBTQ+ History Month. This is the third year Eco Centro has observed LGBTQ+ History Month, but the first year the center has held Pride Open Mic. Communications relations Coordinator Dyhanara Rios and grant writer Nicholas Sheffield of Eco Centro organized this year’s event. Sheffield said having an open mic is a creative way to not only support the community but also to provide students with educational literature. “I think that in this political climate we’re having a resurgence of fear; it’s important for students to have a safe space,” Sheffield said. Representatives of six local organizations provided educational resources and shared local social outlets geared toward the LGBTQ+ community. The organizations are the San Antonio Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Abbey of the Alamo Inc.; Esperanza Peace and Justice Center; City of San Antonio Metropolitan Health District; The Center; Bae-B-Safe; and Parents, Families, Friends and Allies United with the LGBTQ Community. Cher Noble and Minerva des People, members of the San Antonio Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, provided safe-sex packets with condoms and a sheet with tips on sexual health. The Order of Queer Nuns first appeared in San Francisco on Easter Sunday 1979 during the rise of the HIV and AIDS epidemic with a mission to “promulgate universal joy and expiate stigmatic guilt,” according to the organization’s website. “We are 21st century nuns in every sense of the word, without the celibacy,” Noble said. One of the organization’s focus is a “bar ministry,” where members go to local bars dressed as their sister “manifestations,” while handing out the safe-sex packets. Noble said members purchase their own supplies for the project. “It’s not a drop in the bucket,” Noble said. “It’s time-consuming.” Noble said that dressing up and getting out into the community is an interesting way to interact with people that wouldn’t normally happen. “When you’re out and you’re in face, you have more personal freedom because of the ambiguity of what you are,” Noble said. “I’ve have very long, meaningful conversations with complete strangers that would not have happened if I was wearing jeans and a T-shirt.” Noble said even though the sisters have been excommunicated from the church because of the attire and iconography used by the

Sisters Cher Noble and Minerva des People, members of the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, Abbey of the Alamo Inc., complete their manifestations at Pride Open Mic Oct. 24 in Eco Centro. Manifestation is a spiritual process where a member transitions into their identity as a queer nun with the application of makeup, clothing and a veil. V. Finster order, they are still spiritual caretakers of the queer community. “If we can go out this fantastical and ridiculous, then people going out just normally as they are, under the umbrella of this being the extreme, will realize they’re fine, they’re normal,” Noble said. Manifestation is the process of applying the makeup and costume specific to the order. “When we say we’re manifesting, we’re bringing our sister into existence; we’re bringing her out,” des People said. Des People said manifestation is personal to each member, and the more makeup she puts on the more outgoing, louder and suggestive her humor gets. “Minerva gets to be everything I wish I could be in everyday life,” des People said. “Minerva gets to be loud and obnoxious and out

there, but at the same time help people in an intimate way.” Des People said she recalled seeing a documentary on PBS during her formative years about drag nuns like Florence Nightmare in San Francisco at the height of the HIV/AIDS epidemic. “The nuns were some of the only people in the community helping those with AIDS, acting as hospice nurses … that always stuck with me,” des People said. Des People said that when she came out in the early 2000s, she saw the documentary again. “That’s the kind of life I want to lead; I want to leave this world happier, better and safer than when I was brought up in it,” des People said. “I don’t want anyone to have to feel the fear of being gay that I had.”